I spent several vacations as a boy with my parents in the 60s at Wolf Point Lodge. We always stayed in the same cabin, the one furthest from the lodge with its own sandy beach. I split my time between fishing with my Dad and swimming and skiing with Jane and 2 other girls that were always there that same week. I think their names were Bonnie and Tauser. These are my favorite vacations growing up. I think often and fondly of the Bowers.
I am JJ Mires. I had several fun filled vacations at Kenny’s Wolf point lodge. I almost drowned once because I was careless. I remember my dad telling me that Kenny had a plate in his head from a small Bear attack as a kid. We pulled many Northerns out of that water in the mid 50’s…dad trolled Frogs. One of the guys shot a hole in Kenny’s roof…idiot!
I don’t know if this is still active, but I was born in Austin. My family built the lodge originally by hand from logs that they floated down from Kabetogama. The lodge and boat house as well as three of the cabins still stood when I was last there around 2019.
The property has been split into separate private parcels, to the best of my knowledge.
Although my family has not owned the property since around the 40’s, it remains an important part of family lore and admiration. We spend many summers on the water.
If you want to spend some time on Crane, look into Nelson’s Resort. It is a really special spot and was the first place that I stayed on crane as a child
my name is Verne Kiel III, my grandfather Verne Kiel was a barber in Austin,mn in the 30’s and early 40’s. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 1942 at the age of 29. We have a photo of him on a dock and a photo of the cabin they stayed in and also one of some of the family in a boat that has wolf point lodge on the front of the boat. The photos are of his last fishing trip in 1943 as he died in Feb. 1944. He was already very sick at the time the photos were taken but was looking forward to the trip inspite of his health. I believe he visited the lodge on other occasions but all I could remember was that he loved crane lake from stories my Grandmother told of him. We never knew him nor did my father as he died 6 months before my father was born.I have always wanted to find the place that he loved and where he took his last fishing trip. The cabin photo shows a stone fireplace and other photos of resorts on crane lake the cabins do not. I would lave to hear any information on Wolf Point Lodge and if there are still any of the cabins intact and also the location on the lake.
Any and all replies would be wonderful, I would like to at least get as close as I can and be near his favorite spot. Thank You !!
I am Jane Bower’s cousin. My family grew up in Des Moines Iowa. My uncle, Kenneth Bower (my mothers brother) owned and ran Wolf Point Lodge from the post war days up until his death in the ’80’s. He built everything himself. His wife, Lanore, also worked there during the high season and taught school in Rantoul, Il in the off season. Their only child Jane inherited the lodge and cabins and began subdividing and selling off parcels. I was only there twice. Once when I was about nine or ten with the extended family and again a few years back. It was a cold twenty minute boat ride from the nearest road. Kenneth didn’t have too much patience for kids running around and having too much fun so we were never invited back. But boy, we had a lot of fun up there. I visited again on a road trip through the upper mid-west and was shocked with all of the development there now. My grandfather, Norman V. Bower (Ken’s father) held the state record for a Northern Pike for a while. It was mounted above the fireplace in the main lodge.
I spent all my summers until I was 17 yrs old at Crane Lake. My dad Gerald Gobel bought several pieces of Land From Kenny Bower in the 1980’s. My family became good friends with the Bower’s. I loved going over to the boat house with my sister and visiting with Kenny for hours. He loved to tell us stories of the glory days of the resort. On rainy days we would go up to the lodge and visit with Lenore and back ginger snap cookies or blue berry muffins. Kenny and Lenore became adoptive grandparents to myself and my sister. I will treasure the wonderful memories that I have of Wolf Point,
I went to high school with Jane Bower, 1963-67, in Rantoul, IL. Her folks owned Wolf Point Lodge at that time. She moved to Evergreen, CO in 1969 and I have lost touch with her. I am sure the lodge has passed on to other hands or may no longer exist.
I spent several vacations as a boy with my parents in the 60s at Wolf Point Lodge. We always stayed in the same cabin, the one furthest from the lodge with its own sandy beach. I split my time between fishing with my Dad and swimming and skiing with Jane and 2 other girls that were always there that same week. I think their names were Bonnie and Tauser. These are my favorite vacations growing up. I think often and fondly of the Bowers.
I am JJ Mires. I had several fun filled vacations at Kenny’s Wolf point lodge. I almost drowned once because I was careless. I remember my dad telling me that Kenny had a plate in his head from a small Bear attack as a kid. We pulled many Northerns out of that water in the mid 50’s…dad trolled Frogs. One of the guys shot a hole in Kenny’s roof…idiot!
I don’t know if this is still active, but I was born in Austin. My family built the lodge originally by hand from logs that they floated down from Kabetogama. The lodge and boat house as well as three of the cabins still stood when I was last there around 2019.
The property has been split into separate private parcels, to the best of my knowledge.
Although my family has not owned the property since around the 40’s, it remains an important part of family lore and admiration. We spend many summers on the water.
If you want to spend some time on Crane, look into Nelson’s Resort. It is a really special spot and was the first place that I stayed on crane as a child
my name is Verne Kiel III, my grandfather Verne Kiel was a barber in Austin,mn in the 30’s and early 40’s. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 1942 at the age of 29. We have a photo of him on a dock and a photo of the cabin they stayed in and also one of some of the family in a boat that has wolf point lodge on the front of the boat. The photos are of his last fishing trip in 1943 as he died in Feb. 1944. He was already very sick at the time the photos were taken but was looking forward to the trip inspite of his health. I believe he visited the lodge on other occasions but all I could remember was that he loved crane lake from stories my Grandmother told of him. We never knew him nor did my father as he died 6 months before my father was born.I have always wanted to find the place that he loved and where he took his last fishing trip. The cabin photo shows a stone fireplace and other photos of resorts on crane lake the cabins do not. I would lave to hear any information on Wolf Point Lodge and if there are still any of the cabins intact and also the location on the lake.
Any and all replies would be wonderful, I would like to at least get as close as I can and be near his favorite spot. Thank You !!
I am Jane Bower’s cousin. My family grew up in Des Moines Iowa. My uncle, Kenneth Bower (my mothers brother) owned and ran Wolf Point Lodge from the post war days up until his death in the ’80’s. He built everything himself. His wife, Lanore, also worked there during the high season and taught school in Rantoul, Il in the off season. Their only child Jane inherited the lodge and cabins and began subdividing and selling off parcels. I was only there twice. Once when I was about nine or ten with the extended family and again a few years back. It was a cold twenty minute boat ride from the nearest road. Kenneth didn’t have too much patience for kids running around and having too much fun so we were never invited back. But boy, we had a lot of fun up there. I visited again on a road trip through the upper mid-west and was shocked with all of the development there now. My grandfather, Norman V. Bower (Ken’s father) held the state record for a Northern Pike for a while. It was mounted above the fireplace in the main lodge.
I spent all my summers until I was 17 yrs old at Crane Lake. My dad Gerald Gobel bought several pieces of Land From Kenny Bower in the 1980’s. My family became good friends with the Bower’s. I loved going over to the boat house with my sister and visiting with Kenny for hours. He loved to tell us stories of the glory days of the resort. On rainy days we would go up to the lodge and visit with Lenore and back ginger snap cookies or blue berry muffins. Kenny and Lenore became adoptive grandparents to myself and my sister. I will treasure the wonderful memories that I have of Wolf Point,
I went to high school with Jane Bower, 1963-67, in Rantoul, IL. Her folks owned Wolf Point Lodge at that time. She moved to Evergreen, CO in 1969 and I have lost touch with her. I am sure the lodge has passed on to other hands or may no longer exist.